1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to contacts for an electric connector, particularly to contacts for a high density electric connector which has contacts arranged in several rows wherein the contacts lie in an alternating pattern between two neighboring rows.
2. The Prior Art
Contacts are one of the major components constituting an electric connector. Generally, each contact can be divided into a contact portion received in a contact passage formed in a dielectric housing for engaging with a mating contact of a mating connector and a terminal portion for connecting to a printed circuit board.
Conventionally, each contact has a configuration which is symmetrical around a middle line thereof. Such contacts are disclosed in Taiwan Patent Application Nos. 78212155, 80101193, 81205825, 81212441, 83210687, 83212080 and 83212081, and U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,175,821, 4,720,276, 4,720,277, 4,721,484, 5,151,056, and 5,252,079.
Following the trend of increasingly compact computer structure, electric connectors are adapted to accommodate more contacts in a smaller space. Such a connector is called a high density electric connector which has several rows of contacts lying in an alternating pattern between two neighboring rows. Such high density connectors are disclosed in Taiwan Patent Application Nos. 77207089, 79214090, 80209366, 80207178, 81212697, 82213344, 83216753, 84201969, 84208329 and 84211184. The prior art discloses two methods to alternately mount the contacts to the connector. Terminal portions of the contacts can be bent not only perpendicularly but also laterally relative to the contact portions thereof. Alternatively, different die assemblies can be used to stamp the contacts to have different configuration in neighboring rows.
The former of the above-mentioned two methods to form the contacts of a high density connector is laborious and time consuming since more than one bending operation step is required to form the terminal portion. The latter is costly since different die assemblies are required.
Hence, a need exists for contacts of a high density electric connector wherein the contacts are formed by stamping a metal sheet with a single die assembly and terminal portions of the contacts are formed by a single bending operation causing the terminal portions to be perpendicular to the contact portions of the contacts.